Jorge Lorenzo: I was too confident

27 June 2013

Jorge Lorenzo blamed overconfidence in the slippery wet conditions for his collarbone-breaking accident in Thursday practice for the Dutch MotoGP round at Assen.

Reigning double champion Lorenzo, fastest in the dry morning session (pictured), was thrown over the handlebars of his Factory Yamaha at over 200km/h when the rear stepped out just as he turned into a right-hander.

“I think I was too confident, at the moment of the crash I was very fast and felt very strong, but maybe the conditions weren't the perfect ones to have this high confidence,” said Lorenzo.

“I entered the corner faster than the previous lap and I think touched a patch of water, or maybe aquaplaned which made the rear wheel light and touch onto the white line, making it a lot worse which is why I crashed.

“I flew and when I hit the ground I broke my collarbone. I don't have anything negative with this circuit, just bad luck or in this case, too much confidence. You must always be optimistic, things could be worse and I will try to recover as soon as possible.”

The reigning double world champion will travel to Barcelona this [Thursday] evening by a chartered private jet, ahead of surgery on his left shoulder.

Lorenzo, who has closed to within seven points of 2013 title leader Dani Pedrosa after wins at the last two rounds, will then aim to return for the next event at the Sachsenring in mid-July.

"Today is obviously not the way we wanted to start the Assen TT," said team manager, and Dutchman, Wilco Zeelenberg. "Fortunately Jorge was able to walk away from what was a very high speed crash, although unfortunately he will require surgery as a result.

"Jorge has made the decision to fly to Barcelona for the necessary surgery, we are confident that his recovery will be quick and he will be back as soon as possible."

Lorenzo - who has been taken down on the opening lap at the last two Dutch TTs - previously broke his left collarbone in 2005, then had surgery to remove a plate fitted after that accident at the end of 2009.